Nov. 14, 2006

Whether measured by the federal government in its Department of Education report or by the NCAA through its newer Graduation Success Rate (GSR) numbers, graduation rates for University of Notre Dame student-athletes again rank among the national leaders in all major categories among all Division I-A football-playing colleges and universities, according to statistics released Nov. 9 by the NCAA.

Both the traditional NCAA graduation-rate figures and the GSR numbers for Notre Dame student-athletes found the Irish ranked eighth or better nationally in five major categories among the 118 Division I-A football-playing institutions.

The federally-mandated NCAA Graduation-Rates Report, the 16th such survey issued by the association, covers students who enrolled between 1996 and 1999 at all Division I institutions. The NCAA bases graduation rates on the raw percentage of student-athletes who entered an institution and graduated within six years. Students who leave or transfer, regardless of academic standing, are considered non-graduates. All those receiving athletics aid are included in the statistics.

Using the federal formula, Notre Dame graduated a four-year average of 89 percent of its student-athletes, just behind Duke University at 90 percent, and just ahead of Stanford and Northwestern (88 percent each).

Notre Dame ranks second among Division I-A football schools (and also among all 318 I-A programs) on another scale, called the GSR, which was two years ago by the NCAA. The University’s 98 percent GSR for all its student-athletes is second only to the 99 percent of the United States Naval Academy, which, like all military academies, is exempt from the federal survey because it does not offer grants-in-aid to student-athletes.

The GSR was created to more accurately reflect actual graduation rates by including transfer data in the calculation. College and university presidents asked the NCAA to develop a new methodology that takes into account the mobility among students in today’s higher education environment. Research indicates that approximately 60 percent of all new bachelor’s degree recipients are attending more than one undergraduate institution during their collegiate careers.

Among 627 student-athletes who completed all four years of athletic eligibility at Notre Dame from among those entering over a 10-year period from 1990-91 through 1999-2000, 99 percent earned their degrees.

Notre Dame graduated 87 percent of all men competing in varsity athletics, to rank first (tied with Duke and Stanford) among its peer institutions based on the federal calculations. Among women, Notre Dame’s 94 percent rate was second (tied with Duke), behind only Northwestern’s 95 percent rate.

Notre Dame graduated 75 percent of its black student-athletes, ranking eighth nationally, and Irish football players graduated at an 84 percent rate, to rank sixth (the national average in football is 55 percent).

In the GSR standings, Notre Dame finished second among all student-athletes at 98 percent (behind only the U.S. Naval Academy at 99), second among male student-athletes at 97 percent (behind the Naval Academy at 99), third among football players at 95 percent (behind the Naval Academy at 98 and Boston College at 96), fourth among black student-athletes at 91 percent (behind the Naval Academy at 96, Northwestern at 93 and Wake Forest at 93) and tied for fourth with three other schools among female student-athletes at 99 percent (Vanderbilt, Northwestern and the Naval Academy finished at 100).

2006 NCAA Graduation Rates
All data for student-athletes who enrolled between 1996 and 1999 (numbers are percentages)

All Student-Athletes
Federal Rate
1. Duke, 90
2. Notre Dame, 89
3. Stanford, 88
(tie) Northwestern, 88
5. Boston College, 87
6. Penn State, 81

GSR
1. U.S. Naval Academy, 99
2. Notre Dame, 98
3. Duke, 97
4. Northwestern, 96
(tie) Boston College, 96
6. U.S. Military Academy, 95

Male Student-Athletes
Federal Rate
1. Notre Dame, 87
(tie) Stanford, 87
(tie) Duke, 87
4. Boston College, 85
5. Northwestern, 82
6. Penn State, 74
(tie) Vanderbilt, 74
(tie) Wake Forest, 74

GSR
1. U.S. Naval Academy, 99
2. Notre Dame, 97
3. Boston College, 96
4. Duke, 95
5. U.S. Miliary Academy, 94
(tie) Northwestern, 94

Female Student-Athletes
Federal Rate
1. Northwestern, 95
2. Notre Dame, 94
(tie) Duke, 94
4. Rice, 93
5. Virginia, 90
(tie) Penn State, 90

GSR
1. Vanderbilt, 100
(tie) Northwestern, 100
(tie) U.S. Naval Academy, 100
4. Duke, 99
(tie) Notre Dame, 99
(tie) Rice, 99
(tie) Wake Forest, 99

Black Student-Athletes
Federal Rate
1. Stanford, 90
2. Northwestern, 88
3. Wake Forest, 86
4. Vanderbilt, 85
5. Boston College, 81
6. Rice, 79
7. Duke, 77
8. Notre Dame, 75
(tie) Baylor, 75

GSR
1. U.S. Naval Academy, 96
2. Wake Forest, 93
3. Northwestern, 93
4. Notre Dame, 91
(tie) Boston College, 91
6. Stanford, 90

Football Student-Athletes
Federal Rate
1. Stanford, 91
(tie) Boston College, 91
3. Wake Forest, 86
(tie) Vanderbilt, 86
(tie) Duke, 86
6. Notre Dame, 84

GSR
1. U.S. Naval Academy, 98
2. Boston College, 96
3. Notre Dame, 95
4. Stanford, 94
5. Duke, 93
(tie) Wake Forest, 93
(tie) U.S.A.F. Academy, 93